High-functioning autism (HFA) is the condition of individuals who display some symptoms of autism but who are able to function close to or above a normal level in society. HFA is sometimes also known as Asperger syndrome. In everyday terms, those who are affected by it may be understood as being "eccentrics", "nerds", "geeks", or termed a "little professor" or boffin.

The term Asperger syndrome is sometimes used in the same sense as HFA, but the exact difference between autism, Asperger syndrome, and HFA varies. There are a range of deficiencies and talents in HFA, the precise configuration of which can vary widely from individual to individual, ranged along a continuum.

There is a high correlation between HFA characteristics and those described in the Myers-Briggs INTP profile [1] description. Another theory states that Asperger's correlates to the INTJ personality type, whereas HFA correlates to the INFJ personality type.

Yeah I went through it as well, and it's actually what led me to discover I was an infj. Originally tested as an intj and saw that that type was called "The Mastermind" which only reinforced my misguided conviction that I was a "thinker" as opposed to a "feeler" (three cheers for false dichotomies!). Eventually I got to reading about personality disorders and thought I might have schizoid tendencies for a while. Then I came across something that mentioned that schizoid infjs can present as intjs which led me to learn more about infjs and personality types in general, and eventually I realized that I was most assuredly an infj.

Totally know what you mean regarding Fe though. During that period of my life it was as though I only utilized Fe in times of stress in order to condemn and pass judgment on people as opposed to connecting with them. Not a very pretty time for me, but at least I came out of it highly comfortable with my Ti!

By the way, do you happen to know your Enneagram? I'm a 5w4 myself which I think is probably related to my whole NiTi/schizoid/intj complex, but I would be interested to hear from others who've had similar experiences.

Basically, every type is in danger of falling into a dominant/tertiary "loop" so to speak. For infjs, our functions are Ni > Fe > Ti > Se, so when we fall into that pattern of thinking it is a NiTi loop. As far as I understand, the reason people fall into these loops is because your dominant and tertiary functions each share the same orientation (introverted for us infjs), so it's easy to "jump the stack" so to speak and use your tertiary function to sort of justify all the conclusions you reach by way of your dominant (or "hero") function rather than letting your auxiliary function provide a more balanced perspective.

When I was stuck in a NiTi loop, I was just super introverted (still am but not quite as bad lol) and really out of touch with my emotions and those of the people in my life. My Ni would present visions of how the world "should be" and then I would just drop into Ti mode and generate a million reasons why everybody else was wrong about everything. Fe only came into play when I was under stress and was strictly used to lash out at people for not fitting nicely into my personal view of things and condemn them for "not making any sense." During that time I always tested as an intj or intp and thought of myself strictly as a "thinker" and suppressed Fe as much as possible. This just turned into a nasty feedback loop where I couldn't see beyond myself and blamed everybody else for all the "wrong" I saw in the world.

Thanks so much for this response. I can't even begin to say how serendipitous this idea is for me right now.. I've been stuck in some very unfortunate thinking and a whole lot of procrastinating over the last several months, and this is really helping to clarify what is (most assuredly) going on.

It's really funny, because I've been trying to figure out what is wrong with me, and I even stumbled upon the description for Schizoid Personality Disorder on Wikipedia a few weeks ago and became very suspicious that that was what I am possibly dealing with... and now I read your linked article (in another comment) and the author says that NiTi loops can exhibit the same symptoms as people with Schizoid disorder. It's nice to now be able to frame this as something a bit different: a simple lack of attention paid to my feelings and the feelings of people around me. So simple.

If you have any advice to give me, PLEASE do-- I am all ears. I have been dealing with NiTi loop "symptoms" for a long time now... going on probably 2-3 years. My relationships have suffered for it, and I also can't seem to get any of my "big ideas" done.

This concept you've revealed to me is going to be a great start-- an "anchor" of sorts to help me work myself out of this. I'm so sick of myself and my own thinking, and I'm so ready for change. (I'm pretty sure my family and friends are sick of it too.) If you have any hints that will help nudge me in the right direction, please share. I'd love to hear more from someone who has been there and has now managed to find more balance.

[Apologies for the wall of text, I didn't realize I was going to write fucking a novel when I sat down to reply to this. Anyways, I hope you don't find reading it a complete waste of time and humbly present to you my (abridged) life story]

Well I'm happy to hear you got something out of it! Not sure how much help I can really be, though. I've still got my fair share of issues, so I can't in good faith tell you how to tackle your own situation. But I guess I can give you an idea of how things have played out for me thus far.

I think the whole NiTi thing probably started pretty early for me, but my memory is pretty (purple) hazy so this may not really have any basis in reality and could very well just be how I've explained it to myself. I remember feeling really in tune with other peoples' emotions when I was young, but I think I had a few experiences in elementary school where the intensity of my Fe was not appreciated or accepted by the other boys I had started hanging out with. I think that was the beginning of my suppression of Fe, and I think a lot of male infjs out there have probably gone through something similar. At the same time, I had been put in GT classes early on and excelled, so my mother had high expectations for me academically from the beginning. I had the "smart" label slapped onto me pretty early and predominantly sought/earned praise by way of academic achievement. So I think from there I began to build more and more of my budding ego out of the idea that I was "smart." I believe this translated into an over-emphasis on Ni and Ti to the detriment of Fe and Se.

As I got older, I felt increasingly misunderstood by everyone. It could have just been puberty, or it could have been an increasing reliance on NiTi; I'm betting on a mix of both. I started having problems in my relationship with my mom (who is an esfj so Fe dominant), and I think that further fueled my distaste for Fe. Eventually, in an attempt to escape her and my high school (where I "hated everyone" for whatever the fuck reasons I dreamed up for their "inferiority") and to feed my increasingly one-dimensional ego, I left home for an early college program for math and science students. Changing schools didn't make it much better, although relations with my parents improved a bit and it was nice to be free of the abysmal prison we Americans call "high school."

But things really came to a head by the end of my senior year. I had been in a pretty unhealthy relationship for the better part of a year. It came between me and all the new friends I had made and even began to impact my relationships with my parents. I felt like I didn't have anyone left except for this girl that I didn't even like. But as much as I'd like to, I can't really blame it on her since I see now exactly how fucked up I was then.

At this point, I had gotten on Prozac for depression. I thought it was helping at first, but at some point I made the realization that it hadn't actually solved anything; it just made me ok with the fact that I hated my life (Note: I'm not trying to say anything as to whether or not Prozac is right for anybody else. This was just my experience and how I've come to understand it). So a few days after a highly disappointing prom night, I broke up with my then-girlfriend. And I think that's when I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Pretty soon after that, I graduated and moved on to real college. There, I was able to surround myself with a really great group of friends and started having a ton of new experiences. I don't mean to advocate drugs or anything, but at university I started drinking for the first time. Alcohol helped me loosen up a bit and not be so guarded in social situations. I also joined a small fraternity with my friends which introduced me to a bunch of great people I never would have met and forced me out of my comfort zone on numerous occasions, causing me to grow as a person. Eventually I started smoking weed, and that really helped me to recognize how fucking insignificant most of the bullshit I ceaselessly worried about was. That opened me up to a whole new world of experiences and ideas I previously would have dismissed, with each new experience fostering further growth and maturation. Now it could have just been plain ol' growing up that opened me up so much, but I'm inclined to give the ganja at least a little credit.

Finally, I went on to learn a bunch about mbti and figured out that I was an infj, but that didn't really help me out of the loop so much as give me a framework for understanding what was going on in my head. I suppose having a better grasp on my personality helped further my growth, but I think most of the real legwork came before that point. If I had to chalk it up to anything, I think the real facilitator was simply exposing myself to new experiences and ideas. Don't allow your pre-conceived notions to insulate you from the infinite possibilities enwombed in this Universe. And you should also probably not pay too much mind to weird, wired drug-addicts who wax poetic on the internet for far too long.

I work with children with autism. There is little difference between Asperger's and HFA, autism disorders are all on a big spectrum so the lines are blurry, especially at the high end of functionality. This would lead me to think that the theory of specifically INTJ for Aspies vs. INFJ for HFA would be inaccurate.

Aspies and HFA people may fit the traits of certain personality profiles more easily, such as introvert so I can see why there is a correlation of some sort. However, I would not label them as introverts necessarily. If they are introverts, it is due to brain chemistry, structure, and other biomedical factors that have locked them in, so to speak. One of the main links in all autism disorders is communication/social deficits. But social deficits don't necessarily equal introvert. I've met a few extroverts with extreme social issues before. Also, I am an INFJ and I work as a counselor. My social skills are completely up to snuff, and I'm not shy or socially awkward, but I am drained by interactions with people overall.

But just out of curiosity, what kind of insight were you asking for? I am not sure I've contributed to the conversation in the way you hoped.

I'm aware of the changes but personally, I am neutral about the changes. I have never met a person in my 7 years of working w/ children with autism, who could effectively explain the difference between the two, so it makes sense on that level. The only thing I'm concerned about is invalidating a previous diagnosis. This would cause some families a complete lapse in much needed services....but that's another convo.

Right now the only difference between HFA and Aspberger's is how they develop socially at a young age. People with an Aspberger's diagnosis will develop social skills normally at a young age, but as they get older their social skills drop off to a level that's similar to HFA. People with HFA have the same level of below-normal social skills their whole lives. The changes in DSMV shouldn't affect any service needs, as it will only change the diagnosis slightly. The end result should be exactly the same.

I have considered this for a few years now. And I often wonder if I have a touch of autism or aspergers due to my thought processes, fixation with patterns, my inability to understand people's obvious negative actions against others who they call 'friend', my fixation on information and how topics grab me when I find them interesting an I exhaust everything about it until I am satisfied that the info all adds up. I have an uncanny ability with numbers, I jut know what the answers are in math questions (talking below university standard.) and a natural affinity to all things science.

But yet here I am about to finish an arts degree because things that are easy for me are no good. They're pointless an I can't be bothered sticking with it. It bores me.

I have no idea what to do with the consideration I might have slight autistic tendencies. You can't exactly walk up to a doctor and say oh here test me for autism please.

I can't tell my GP I think I'm depressed, there s no hope in hell they'd listen to me say I think I might be autistic.

Go see a psychiatrist. They'll be slightly better equipped to diagnose you, and if you find a good one, they will listen to your concerns. There are tests like the ADOS, but I've only seen screening done in children, not adults. It doesn't hurt to ask.

If you think you have slight autistic tendencies the good news is that "No, you probably do not have autism."

An autistic friend once told me that they had to strive to memorize different peoples reactions when talking with them because he had no intuitive way to respond. After many years of practice they still do things like tune out completely during a conversation they are not personally involved in. Your example is vague, but after having three different good friends with various HFA the good news is that you don't have it.

However, and I probably should have led with this, the need to do what does not come naturally and obsess over a new topic that you find interesting sounds as though you enjoy novel challenges. (Duh.) The ability to intuitively understand mathematical answers on seeing a question and an affinity for patterns and puzzles means that your mind has a very high logical intelligence, and if I had to guess you enjoy abstract (theoretical) conversations with friends and the fixation on different topics probably moves to something new once it is 'understood'. That is, all the pieces fit and all the new concepts mesh together into a concept of the whole and that is when you know you are done.

Please, please feel free to correct me if any of that is false speculation but your description sounds very familiar.

Asperger's isn't an actual diagnosis in the new DSM V. That aside, the signs of Aspergers have nothing to do with INTJ personality type. But still some people want to use it as an excuse for being antisocial jack-asses. What else is new, eh?

To be clear, I'm saying that neurotypical people sometimes claim they are on the spectrum when they have no business doing so, only to justify their poor social skills and general douchebagerry to themselves

erk. I switch from one to the other in the tests. I feel like I identify more with INFJ then INTJ, but sometimes I dunno.

I've struggled a lot with mental illness. Mostly depression and anxiety, but there is a long running history of ADD in my family too. My brother is on Ritalin for it.

sigh I don't know what to do sometimes. I get told that I'm not as sick as I think I am, but I feel like I have to put out far more effort then the regular person just to be barely functional. Going to grocery stores is especially taxing for me. I hate it. I fucking hate it so much.

I don't understand people. I don't understand how someone could possibly not be empathetic towards others. How can you possibly cause someone pain or uncomfortableness without hating yourself. I want to help people but I'm too afraid to act on it, and too troubled just to get through my day without worrying about others. It's such a struggle.

Most skills i pick up with little effort. It took me a couple months to pick up how to play a couple songs on the guitar, and as much as I enjoyed it I gave up on it because I'd be too embarrassed to perform in front of someone anyways.

Mine isn't too bad, I do have some natural social ability (though obviously not very much). It's mainly just obvious in my obsession with routine and other indicators. I don't really pay much attention to the personality types to be honest but I definitely identity with INFJ. There are a lot of misconceptions to do with aspergers and empathy, none of which I'm very good at explaining :p

There was a point in my life where I thought I may have had Asperger's, but then I realized I don't. I think a lot of introverts go through that kind of 'stage' as well, since society pressures them to be as social and diverse as possible. People like to blame their "inept" qualities on something unchangeable, so they don't feel pressured to change it. Having a scapegoat makes it easier for them, since they have something to blame their uniqueness on.

Most INFJ's are good at reading body language and picking up on social cues (a sign that someone does NOT have HFA), which is why they tend to excel in health-related fields. I noticed that my issue tends to be that I'm hyper aware of any kind of social cues, so I'm usually the first one to realize that something is making a person uncomfortable, even if it's barely discernible. I've been told it's like I can read people's minds, which some people can find annoying because the discomfort may not even be that big of a deal to them. :P

Just because you don't like social settings, you have trouble making eye contact, and you're really passionate about one thing doesn't necessarily mean you have a mental disorder (you may, but it's unlikely)--it just means you're introverted and likely shy. Also, although there may be a spectrum for autism, there's no such thing as being slightly autistic or having autistic tendencies--it's an all or nothing kind of deal.

Hmm.. I have a hard time buying this because I have a brother on the spectrum, a nephew on the spectrum, and a boyfriend who is INTJ. While some characteristics of them appear similar (like not being very social), they have different reasons for that. My brother is overwhelmed by the fact that he can't read facial expressions and social cues, but my boyfriend just doesn't see the point in interacting with people unless there is a real purpose to it. He hates chit-chat because he just feels it's inane.